Nearly 200 people gathered for the 2010 National
Drowning Prevention Alliance Symposium last month to learn
about drowning prevention and a new VGB education program
including a new video to help with compliance.

Held April 26-27 in Pittsburgh, the symposium drew 177
attendees, including sponsors and exhibitors.
Pre-conference workshops included a Certified Pool &
Spa Operator “Fusion” course and a
lifeguard training and management course that taught
standards of care for the prevention, recognition, and
management of drowning and aquatic injuries. The conference
also included a breakout session on risk management for
aquatic facilities and another on how lifeguard observation
methods can improve aquatic safety.

Speakers included key note speaker Francesco
“Frank” A. Pia, Ph.D, owner of Pia
Enterprises.com in Larchmont, N.Y who’s also a
cognitive psychologist with 42 years experience in drowning
accident causation and reconstruction for public and
private aquatic agencies; Jack Wagner, Pennsylvania State
Auditor General and gubernatorial candidate, who spoke
about the importance of having lifeguards at public
beaches; Linda Quan, M.D, of Seattle Children’s
Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, who
spoke about International Guidelines to Prevent Open Water
Drowning; and John Malatak, Chief of Program Operations,
Boating & Safety Division of the U.S. Coast Guard
and former Asst. Director of Health and Safety for the
American Red Cross, who delivered Tuesday’s
keynote address.

“The best thing about the NDPA is that there is
a place at the table for everyone involved in drowning
prevention, water safety, or aquatics,” said
Kristin Goffman, Executive Director of the National
Drowning Prevention Alliance based in Huntington Beach,
Calif.

The event also included an early peek at the national
public education component (Section 1407) of the Virginia
Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB), which mandates
suction entrapment prevention measures for all public pools
and spas and a public education campaign to raise awareness
about child drowning prevention.

“We are serious, we are out there, and we will
be talking about drowning prevention,” Kathleen
Reilly, public affairs specialist with the Consumer Product
Safety Commission, assured attendees.

The official launch of the Pool Safely campaign is set
for May 24 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when the campaign logo
will be unveiled. “I really like the idea of using
the word ‘pool’ as a verb and combining
it with the imperative,” said Reilly.

Campaign messaging will be built upon two
“pillars.” The first shifts the emphasis
from problems to solutions by focusing on proactive
solutions instead of tragic outcomes and the sharing of
best practices. The second encourages
“identity-driven behavior change”by
promoting a positive self-image (i.e., responsible
parent/industry) rather than criticizing deficiencies.

“We want to cultivate a safety-minded identity
by reinforcing what they’re already good at doing
so they’ll feel motivated to do even
more,” said Reilly. “We also want to
plant the seed of doubt that their current safety regimen
might not be good enough, and help them understand that
there’s always room for improvement.”

The CPSC is also working with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to implement VGB Sections 1405 and
1406, which define minimum eligibility requirements for the
state grant program. Because about 300 children under five
drown in residential pools annually, the state grant
program requires that all residential pools have barriers,
such as 4-foot high fences, or, when the house serves as
the fourth side of a barrier, pool safety covers or pool
door alarms.

In addition, to be eligible for a grant, the state
legislation must also require that residential pools as
well as public pools have entrapment prevention devices.
The state grant application deadline date is May 28, 2010.
For more information about the state grant program
visit www.PoolSafety.gov. A link describing how to
apply for the state grant can be found at
www.poolsafety.gov/officials.html.

To help local officials determine if pool drains are VGB
compliant, Reilly said the CPSC will produce a video and
distribute it through state health departments. It will
show a variety of pool drains and “walk people
through a step-by-step inspection process divided into
five-minute segments.